Justice Goel may be elevated as Gauhati HC chief justice

Punjab and Haryana high court acting chief justice Adarsh Kumar Goel has given his consent to the Supreme Court collegium for elevation to the post of chief justice of the Guahati high court, it is learnt.

The Supreme Court collegium, consisting of five senior most judges headed by the chief justice of India, has already cleared justice Goel’s name for elevation as chief justice.

Being the senior most judge in the high court, justice Goel has been functioning as the acting chief justice.

According to the senior officials of the high court, elevation orders of justice Goel are expected very soon and in case before his departure chief justice Ranjan Gogoi doesn’t join back, justice MM Kumar is likely to officiate as acting chief justice being the next in the seniority list.

As per information since chief justice Lokur is due to retire on December 31, 2015, justice Goel may be transferred to the Guahati high court as first puisne judge(associate judge) and after some time would take over as the chief justice. There is also speculation that chief justice Lokur may be transferred to some other high court or elevated to the Supreme Court.

Born on July 7, 1953 at Hissar in Haryana, justice Goel practised before the Punjab and Haryana high court for about five years and before the Supreme Court of India and Delhi High Court for about 22 years. He was elevated as judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court with effect from July 2, 2001.